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CuFeS2 has many advantages, like high electrical conductivity, multiple redox centers, natural abundance and nontoxic. However, the low capacitance limits their application. In this work, we use carbon spheres (CS) prepared from starch to modify CuFeS2. The prepared CuFeS2/CS shows special structures with the CS as the core and CuFeS2 as the shell. These CuFeS2/CS nanocomposites show improved capacitive performance. CuFeS2/CS has a specific capacitance of 349.4 F g − 1 at 0.5 A g − 1 , four times that of pristine CuFeS2 (88.8 F g − 1) , which might be attributed to the increased electrolyte diffusion capacity. The cyclic stability is also slightly improved, from 86.4% of the pristine CuFeS2 to 90.5% of the CuFeS2/CS nanocomposites due to the rigid structure of both crystal CuFeS2 and firm CS. These CuFeS2/CS nanocomposites are expected to be used in high-performance supercapacitor applications. CuFeS2/CS nanocomposites have a special structure, with the CS as the core and CuFeS2 as the shell. They show improved capacitive performance, with the specific capacitance of 349.4 F g–1 for CuFeS2/CS at the current density of 0.5 A g–1, which is almost 4 times that of pristine CuFeS2 (88.8 F g–1). Cyclic stability is also slightly improved, from 86.4% of the pristine CuFeS2 to 90.5% of the CuFeS2/CS nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we designed and prepared polyoxometalate@metal‐organic framework (POM@MOF) composite catalysts through the anchoring of a sandwich POM [(PW9O34)2Co4(H2O)2]10− (shortened as P2W18Co4) to the hexagonal channel of the PCN‐222 (metal‐free) or PCN‐222(M) (M=Fe, Co) frameworks. The composite materials were applied to the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 reaction (CO2RR) to analyse the effect of incorporating P2W18Co4 on catalytic activity. The P2W18Co4@PCN‐222 composite exhibited enhanced activity across a wide potential range (−0.60~−0.85 V vs. RHE) and an optimal FECO of 72 % at −0.75 V vs. RHE, which was more than double that of PCN‐222 (FECO=33 %). The current density surpassed that of the PCN‐222 precursors by over sixteen times at the same potential. In contrast, the P2W18Co4@PCN‐222(M) composite demonstrated decreased current density, minimal enhancement in CO2RR activity, and a competing HER behaviour. Density functional theory calculations were conducted on simplified models of P2W18Co4@H2‐TCPP and P2W18Co4@M‐TCPP to elucidate the divergent catalytic performances. The findings revealed that while both configurations exhibited the same rate‐limiting step (formation of the *COOH intermediate), a significantly reduced reaction barrier was only observed in the P2W18Co4@H2‐TCPP setup, explaining its substantial activity improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the clinical effects and application value of self-made disseminating and descending breathing exercises on home rehabilitation of patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Seeking to generate concepts for creating novel, convenient, and efficient COPD prognosis rehabilitation exercises aimed at enhancing the well-being and rehabilitation confidence of both COPD patients and their families. A total of 70 COPD patients admitted to our outpatient department from July 2019 to September 2021 were randomly divided into the exercise group (n = 35) and the control group (n = 35). The control group received routine breathing training, while the exercise group was treated with self-made disseminating and descending breathing exercises. The respiratory function, including pulmonary function (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC) and respiratory muscle strength (MIP, MEP), exercise tolerance (6-min walking distance, 6MWT), Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC, Borg), COPD quality of life score (CAT, SGRQ), anxiety and depression scores (HAMA, HAMD) were compared between the two groups after 12-week exercise. After 12-week training, the FEV1, MIP, and MEP in the exercise group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.001), and the 6MWT was significantly increased in the exercise group compared to the control group (p < 0.001); while the mMRC, Borg score, the scores of CAT, SGRQ, HAMA, and HAMD were found significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.001). The self-made disseminating and descending breathing exercises can improve respiratory function and reduce symptoms of dyspnea in COPD patients, while enhancing exercise tolerance and relieving anxiety and depression, and are worthy of clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: The ideal bowel cleansing program still needs to be explored. The aim was to compare the bowel cleansing effect and patient tolerance of low-dose polyethylene glycol (PEG) combined with different doses of linaclotide in fractionated bowel preparation. Methods: The subjects were randomly assigned to the 3LPEG group, 2LPEG + 2L group, or 2LPEG + L group. The primary outcome was to use the Ottawa Bowel Preparation Scale (OBPS) to evaluate the efficacy of bowel cleansing, and the secondary outcomes were the detection rate of adenomas and polyps, adverse reactions, tolerance, and defecation dynamics; subsets of patients with chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome were also analyzed. Results: A total of 753 patients were randomly assigned. In ITT analysis, the success of preparation of the 2LPEG + 2L group was better than that of the 2LPEG + L group or the 3LPEG group (92.0% vs. 82.3% vs. 82.1%; P = 0.002). Compared with the 3LPEG group, the 2LPEG + L group showed similar but non-inferior results (82.3% vs. 82.1%, P > 0.05). The 2LPEG + 2L group was similar to the 2LPEG + L group in terms of adverse reaction, tolerance, willingness to reuse, and sleep quality, but both were superior to the 3LPEG group. In a subgroup analysis of chronic constipation, the 2LPEG + 2L group had the best cleansing effect on the right colon and mid colon, while in the subgroup analysis of irritable bowel syndrome, the tolerance was better in the 2LPEG + 2L group and the 2LPEG + L group than the 3LPEG group. Conclusions: 2LPEG + 2L is a feasible bowel preparation regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of a low-profile visualized intraluminal support stent (LVIS) and Enterprise in the treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms is well established. Although previous studies have investigated one single type of stent for the treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms (RIA), the safety and efficacy between the two types of stents has not been fully explored. Herein we conducted a study to compare the outcomes of the two stents for treatment of RIA. This is a prospective registry database of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients admitted to a single institution between 2018 and 2021. We collected patient baseline information, secondary complications, follow-up angiographic data, long-term prognostic outcomes, and conducted propensity score matching (PSM) analysis with 1:1 ratio and a multivariable logistic regression to compare the outcomes of the two types of stents. A total of 231 patients with RIAs were included in this study, with 108 treated using the LVIS device and 123 treated using the Enterprise device. Before PSM analysis, only the incidence of poor prognosis after 12 months was higher in the Enterprise group comparing to the LVIS group (20% vs. 10%, P = 0.049). After PSM analysis, there was a higher occurrence of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) in the Enterprise group compared to the LVIS group (odds ratio [OR] 3.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.20–13.01], P = 0.024). However, no significant difference in prognosis was observed after PSM adjustment. Furthermore, subgroup analysis revealed that patients with female (P = 0.019), hypertension (P = 0.048), and anterior circulation aneurysms (P = 0.019) receiving the Enterprise device had a higher risk of DCI. The overall efficacy of LVIS and Enterprise in the treatment of RIA is comparable, while the incidence of DCI in the LVIS group is lower than that in the Enterprise group after PSM analysis. Registration number: NCT05738083 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global climate change has resulted in substantial modifications to the distribution patterns of narrowly distributed species across different time periods, leading to an imminent threat to the survival of some vulnerable species. Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda J. R. Xue & T. P. Yi ex Ohrnb., a bamboo species endemic to the transition zone from the Yunnan‐Guizhou Plateau to the Sichuan Basin with high economic and ecological value, exhibits a limited range and rarity. Utilizing eight environmental variables and 56 occurrence records, we employed the MaxEnt model to predict the potential distribution range of C. tumidissinoda under current and future climate scenarios. The findings revealed that precipitation of the driest month (Bio14), elevation and isothermality (Bio3) were the crucial factors determining the species' distribution, accounting for 31.24%, 28.27% and 17.24% of data variability, respectively. The distribution centroid of C. tumidissinoda is anticipated to shift towards higher latitudes in response to future climate change, and the projected habitat suitability is expected to expand under ssp245 and ssp585 scenarios while remaining unchanged or contracting under the ssp126 scenario. Despite these expansions, the suitable habitats remain limited, with the largest being approximately 2.08 × 104 km2, indicating a significant threat to its survival. Our study provides insights into the adaptive responses of C. tumidissinoda to climate change, enriching scientific knowledge for developing effective conservation measurements as well as sustainable utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel censored autoregressive conditional Fréchet (CAcF) model with a flexible evolution scheme for the time-varying parameters, which allows deciphering tail risk dynamics constrained by price limits from the viewpoints of different risk preferences. The proposed model can well accommodate many important empirical characteristics of financial data, such as heavy-tailedness, volatility clustering, extreme event clustering, and price limits. We then investigate tail risk dynamics via the CAcF model in the price-limited stock markets, taking entropic value at risk (EVaR) as a risk measurement. Our findings suggest that tail risk will be seriously underestimated in price-limited stock markets when the censored property of limit prices is ignored. Additionally, the evidence from the Chinese Taiwan stock market shows that widening price limits would lead to a decrease in the incidence of extreme events (hitting limit-down) but a significant increase in tail risk. Moreover, we find that investors with different risk preferences may make opposing decisions about an extreme event. In summary, the empirical results reveal the effectiveness of our model in interpreting and predicting time-varying tail behaviors in price-limited stock markets, providing a new tool for financial risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wangjiazhuang Cu (‐Mo) deposit, located within the Zouping volcanic basin in western Shandong Province, China, is unique in this area for having an economic value. In order to expound the metallogenetic characteristics of this porphyry‐like hydrothermal deposit, a detailed fluid inclusion study has been conducted, employing the techniques of representative sampling, fluid inclusion petrography, microthermometry, Raman spectroscopy, LA‐ICP‐MS analysis of single fluid inclusions, as well as cathode fluorescence spectrometer analysis of host mineral quartz. The deposit contains mainly two types of orebodies, i.e. veinlet‐dissemination‐stockwork orebodies in the K‐Si alteration zone and pegmatitic‐quartz sulfide veins above them. In addition, minor breccia ore occurs locally. Four types of fluid inclusions in the deposit and altered quartz monzonite are identified: L‐type one‐ or two‐phase aqueous inclusions, V‐type vapor‐rich inclusions with V/L ratios greater than 50%–90%, D‐type multiphase fluid inclusions containing daughter minerals or solids and S‐type silicate‐bearing fluid inclusions containing mainly muscovite and biotite. Ore petrography and fluid inclusion study has revealed a three‐stage mineralization process, driven by magmatic‐hydrothermal fluid activity, as follows. Initially, a hydrothermal fluid, separated from the parent magma, infiltrated into the quartz monzonite, resulting in its extensive K‐Si alteration, as indicated by silicate‐bearing fluid inclusions trapped in altered quartz monzonite. This is followed by the early mineralization, the formation of quartz veinlets and dissemination‐stockwork ores. During the main mineralization stage, due to the participation and mixing of meteoric groundwater with magmatic‐sourced hydrothermal fluid, the cooling and phase separation caused deposition of metals from the hydrothermal fluids. As a result, the pegmatitic‐quartz sulfide‐vein ores formed. In the late mineralization stage, decreasing fluid salinity led to the formation of L‐type aqueous inclusions and chalcopyrite‐sulfosalt ore. Coexistence of V‐type and D‐type inclusions and their similar homogenization temperatures with different homogenization modes suggest that phase separation or boiling of the ore‐forming fluids took place during the early and the main mineralization stages. The formation P‐T conditions of S‐type inclusions and the early and the main mineralization stages were estimated as ca. 156–182 MPa and 450–650°C, 350–450°C, 18–35 MPa and 280–380°C, 8–15 MPa, respectively, based on the microthermometric data of the fluid inclusions formed at the individual stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article proposes a novel method for tensor data completion based on a factor model and a slicing technique. Specifically, we first focus on third-order tensor data with missing values. Under the assumption of factor structure, the rows and columns of the matrix consisting of slices of each dimension are reordered. Then, we divide it into four blocks to obtain valid estimates of factors and factor loadings in different blocks. Finally, these estimates are utilized to complete the missing values. In addition, we extend our proposed method to address the issue of missing entries in higher-order tensors. The core idea is to slice the higher-order data into multiple two-dimensional matrix slices using recursive methods. To evaluate its effectiveness, we apply the method to third-order tensor simulation data and the Fama-French return series, which yields satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we revisit D s → f 0 (980) form factors from the light-cone sum rules based on the q ¯ q picture of f 0 (980) . The main motivation of this study is the decay width of D s + → π π S I = 0 e + ν e measured recently by BESIII collaboration and the D s → f 0 (980) form factor extracted under the resonant model, here the subscript S and superscript I = 0 indicate the S-wave isoscalar dipion system. Our result of the differential width of D s + → f 0 (980) (→ π π S I = 0) e + ν e decay obtained under the narrow width approximation is lower than the data, the result obtained under the resonant Flatté model is consistent with the data, indicating a sizable mixing ∼ 20 ∘ between s ¯ s and u ¯ u + d ¯ d of f 0 . In order to get a model independent prediction, we suggest to calculate D s → π π I = 0 form factors with the isoscalar dipion light-cone distribution amplitudes. Our calculation of D s → π π I = 0 form factors is carried out at leading twist level due to the finite knowledge of dipion system, the differential width shows a moderate evolution in contrast to that obtained from the narrow width approximation and the Flatté model. Since the D s → f 0 (980) form factors is dominated by the twist three contribution, further measurements on four-body semileptonic charm decays would help us to study the dimeson light-cone distribution amplitudes, especially for the subleading twist one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halide perovskite materials have emerged as a promising class of semiconductors for high‐performance optoelectronic applications, particularly for light‐emitting diodes (LEDs), due to their high quantum efficiency, facile color tunability, narrow emission line widths, as well as cost‐effectiveness. Despite the great successes on green and red perovskite LEDs (PeLEDs), the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of blue PeLEDs still lags far behind that of green and red counterparts. Here, wavelength tunable pure and deep blue PeLEDs with high EQE are presented, achieving 17.5% and 10.8% for emission wavelengths of 472 and 461 nm, respectively. The wavelength tenability and high EQE are attributed to the unique vertically graded bandgaps and grain boundary organic shells in the perovskite films. The results demonstrate a significant performance improvement in blue PeLEDs, provide a novel route to fabricate high‐performance pure and deep blue PeLEDs that can match the performance of the green and red PeLEDs for future lighting and display applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and long-term outcomes of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for treating colorectal adenomas and tumors. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase. Parameters such as number of patients or lesions, histological diagnosis, lesion size, surgery time, en-bloc resection, R0 resection, severe postoperative complications, and local recurrence were extracted and pooled for analysis. Results: A total of 12 retrospective studies involving 1289 patients and 1850 lesions were included in the analysis. EMR was found to have a shorter operation time by 53.6 minutes (95% CI: 51.3, 55.9, P<0.001) and fewer incidences of severe postoperative complications such as perforation and delayed bleeding (OR = 0.40, 95%CI: 0.23, 0.71, P<0.001). On the other hand, ESD had higher rates of en-bloc resection (OR = 0.15, 95%CI: 0.07, 0.30, P<0.001) and R0 resection (OR = 0.32, 95%CI: 0.16, 0.65, P<0.001). Recurrence after EMR was found to be significantly higher than that after ESD surgery (OR = 5.88, 95%CI: 2.15, 16.07, P = 0.037). Conclusions: The study suggests that the choice of surgical method may have a greater impact on recurrence compared to the pathological type, and that ESD may be more suitable for the treatment of malignant lesions despite its higher rates of severe postoperative complications and longer operation time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aureobasidium melanogenum TN3-1 strain and A. melanogenum P16 strain were isolated from the natural honey and the mangrove ecosystem, respectively. The former can produce much higher pullulan from high concentration of glucose than the latter. In order to know what happened to their genomes, the PacBio sequencing and Hi-C technologies were used to create the first high-quality chromosome-level reference genome assembly of A. melanogenum TN3-1 (51.61 Mb) and A. melanogenum P16 (25.82 Mb) with the contig N50 of 2.19 Mb and 2.26 Mb, respectively. Based on the Hi-C results, a total of 93.33% contigs in the TN3-1 strain and 92.31% contigs in the P16 strain were anchored onto 24 and 12 haploid chromosomes, respectively. The genomes of the TN3-1 strain had two subgenomes A and B. Synteny analysis showed that the genomic contents of the two subgenomes were asymmetric with many structural variations. Intriguingly, the TN3-1 strain was revealed as a recent hybrid/fusion between the ancestor of A. melanogenum CBS105.22/CBS110374 and the ancestor of another unidentified strain of A. melanogenum similar to P16 strain. We estimated that the two ancient progenitors diverged around 18.38 Mya and merged around 10.66–9.98 Mya. It was found that in the TN3-1 strain, telomeres of each chromosome contained high level of long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs), but had low level of the telomerase encoding gene. Meanwhile, there were high level of transposable elements (TEs) inserted in the chromosomes of the TN3-1 strain. In addition, the positively selected genes of the TN3-1 strain were mainly enriched in the metabolic processes related to harsh environmental adaptability. Most of the stress-related genes were found to be related to the adjacent LTRs, and the glucose derepression was caused by the mutation of the Glc7-2 in the Snf-Mig1 system. All of these could contribute to its genetic instability, genome evolution, high stress resistance, and high pullulan production from glucose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Solar Insecticidal Lamp Internet of Things (SIL-IoTs) is an emerging paradigm that extends Internet of Things (IoT) technology to agricultural-enabled electronic devices. Ensuring the dependability and safety of SIL-IoTs is crucial for pest monitoring, prediction, and prevention. However, SIL-IoTs can experience system performance degradation due to failures, which can be attributed to complex environmental changes and device deterioration in agricultural settings. This study proposes a sensor-level lightweight fault-detection scheme that takes into account realistic constraints such as computational resources and energy. By analyzing fault characteristics, we designed a distributed fault-detection method based on operation condition differences, interval number residuals, and feature residuals. Several experiments were conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results demonstrated that our method achieves an average F1-score of 95.59%. Furthermore, the proposed method only consumes an additional 0.27% of the total power, and utilizes 0.9% RAM and 3.1% Flash on the Arduino of the SIL-IoTs node. These findings indicated that the proposed method is lightweight and energy-efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Delivery of inhalable nanoparticles through metered-dose inhalers (MDI) is a promising approach to treat lung disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nanocoating of the inhalable nanoparticles helps in stability and cellular uptake enhancement but complicates the production process. Thus, it is meaningful to accelerate the translation process of MDI encapsulating inhalable nanoparticles with nanocoating structure. Methods: In this study, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) are selected as a model inhalable nanoparticle system. An established reverse microemulsion strategy was utilized to explore the industrialization potential of SLN-based MDI. Three categories of nanocoating with the functions of stabilization (by Poloxamer 188, encoded as SLN(0)), cellular uptake enhancement (by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, encoded as SLN(+)), and targetability (by hyaluronic acid, encoded as SLN(−)) were constructed upon SLN, whose particle size distribution and zeta-potential were characterized. Subsequently, SLN were loaded into MDI, and evaluated for the processing reliability, physicochemical nature, formulation stability, and biocompatibility. Results: The results elucidated that three types of SLN-based MDI were successfully fabricated with good reproducibility and stability. Regarding safety, SLN(0) and SLN(−) showed negligible cytotoxicity on cellular level. Conclusions: This work serves as a pilot study for the scale-up of SLN-based MDI, and could be useful for the future development of inhalable nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential building energy retrofits are essential for enhancing environmental sustainability and reducing energy costs. The selection of retrofit measures is influenced by factors such as building systems, occupant behavior, government policy, weather variability, and climate change, all of which can significantly impact energy performance. Compared to retrofitting individual homes, evaluating and selecting optimal retrofit solutions for an entire community is challenging due to diverse residential compositions and variability present. Therefore, engineering robustness is crucial for ensuring consistent energy performance and resilience across different conditions. In this context, robustness refers to the ability of a retrofit measure to maintain its functionality and remain an optimal choice despite external disturbances or changes in inputs and conditions. This study presents a framework for evaluating the robustness of multiple retrofit measures across various building systems, occupant behaviors, and environmental scenarios at the community level. The framework comprises five key steps: scenario model development, integration of the National Residential Efficiency Measures database, energy performance simulation, cost-benefit aggregation, and retrofit solution selection. Each step enhances the framework's robustness by incorporating the diversity of building characteristics, occupant behaviors, environmental conditions, retrofit options, and evaluation criteria. The framework's effectiveness is demonstrated through a case study in southern Michigan in the United States, which includes 63 one-story single-family houses, 121 two-story single-family houses, and 8 townhouses. The study identifies furnace retrofits as the most robust solution for the entire community, consistently achieving source energy reductions of 4.7 %–8.0 % and payback period of 10–20 years across various scenarios. These findings are consistent with previous research, indicating the framework's potential for broader applications in optimizing community-scale residential energy retrofits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liposomes for inhalation have high biosafety and can achieve slow and controlled delivery, which are especially suitable for the treatment of lung diseases and have a promising clinical application prospect. However, liposomes for inhalation have the key bottleneck problem of the lack of strategies to control the targeting region, which restricts its clinical transformation. The root cause is the inability to control the bio-corona (BC) generation upon liposomes, which dominates the specific targeting regions. In order to overcome the above bottleneck, a high density hybrid liposome system based on distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethylene glycol)] (DSPE-PEG) may be a potential choice. The PEG chain in DSPE-PEG has "stealth" effect that can hinder the adsorption of biological molecules. When the density of DSPE-PEG hybridization is high, the "stealth" effect is more significant, and the total adsorption amount of liposomal BC can be effectively reduced. By optimizing the PEG chain structures of DSPE-PEG, viz PEG chain length and terminal group modification, DSPE-PEG high density hybrid liposomes can be endowed with the function of targeting site regulation based on BC domination effect. It is believed that this proposed system can promote the profound reform of the research paradigm of inhalational liposomes, and accelerate the development of related products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have greatly improved our understanding of the classification of the large liverwort family Lejeuneaceae, the frequent incongruencies between morphology‐based taxonomy and molecular phylogeny have hindered our understanding of evolutionary diversification within the group. Here we focus on Leptolejeunea (Spruce) Steph., a pantropical epiphyllous genus in Lejeuneaceae with 40 species. Phylogenetic studies on the genus have been hampered by insufficient taxon sampling, leaving the deep phylogenetic relationships within this group unresolved. We present the most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the genus to date with sampling of over 80% of species, including the enigmatic Leptolejeunea spinistipula (Mizut.) X.L.He endemic to Borneo. Based on data from three molecular markers with representatives of Leptolejeunea and its allies, Leptolejeunea appeared to be monophyletic following the exclusion of L. spinistipula and its transfer to Soella R.L.Zhu, L.Shu, Qiong He & Y.M.Wei. A total‐evidence approach was taken to resolve the backbone phylogeny of Leptolejeunea and a first infrageneric classification of Leptolejeunea, including a new subgenus and three new sections, is proposed based on integrated molecular and morphological evidence. Reconstruction of the evolutionary history showed a wide ancestral area of Leptolejeunea during the Paleogene that arose in mainland Asia, followed by an accelerated speciation rate. Across the biogeographical history of Leptolejeunea, long‐distance dispersal had profound effects on population expansion. Our findings suggest that Australasia is a source of biodiversity of Asian evergreen broad‐leaved forests that have been established since the Oligocene and rose after the early Miocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large-scale promotion online brings great challenges to e-tailers, such as the uncertain demand caused by strategic customer behaviors and the unreliable supply from suppliers. In this article, a portfolio procurement strategy (PPS) that incorporates a long-term contract and a spot market is proposed. From the perspective of a risk-averse e-tailer, we identify conditions under which the e-tailer should procure, via the unreliable supply contract only, the spot market only, or both. The impacts of risk aversion and strategic customers on the optimal procurement strategy are also investigated. The results show that, when procurement price via contract lies between two thresholds, the e-tailer chooses PPS, and otherwise chooses supply contract or spot market only. The PPS is more likely to be used if the e-tailer is more risk-averse, the supply is more unreliable, or there are more strategic customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metaheuristic algorithms are highly popular in the field of optimization because of their gradient-free nature and strong applicability. Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO for short) performs well in optimization problems in different fields due to its fast convergence speed and strong exploitation ability. However, GWO still has shortcomings in terms of population diversity, balance between exploration and exploitation, and convergence during the optimization process. To address these shortcomings, this article proposes a multi-population dynamic grey wolf optimizer based on dimension learning and Laplace mutation (DLMDGWO). Firstly, DLMDGWO is used in the initial stage to obtain a high-quality and uniform initial population by controlling the dynamic boundaries so that the population is distributed in Euclidean distances around the origin of the search space and perturbed by diversity through the logistics map. Moreover, utilizing Multi-population Dynamic Strategy to improve the algorithm mechanism of grey wolves and proposing Double Laplace Mutation to enrich the update strategy of grey wolves. In addition, Multi-strategy Dimension Learning is utilized to optimize the dynamic structure of the population and enhance the diversity of the grey wolf in the solving process. In order to investigate the effectiveness of the proposed DLMDGWO, it has been tested on the standard benchmark functions in IEEE CEC 2017 and IEEE CEC 2022. In addition, DLMDGWO was also used to solve eight practical engineering optimization problems. The results of the analysis and comparison with other improved GWO indicate that the proposed DLMDGWO has better on search efficiency, solution accuracy, and convergence speed in executing global optimization problems. • A multi-population dynamic grey wolf optimizer (DLMDGWO) is proposed. • Introduced Laplace mutation operator to enhance search performance. • DLMDGWO combines enhanced mechanism with multi-strategy dimension learning. • Validation for the DLMDGWO by CEC2017 and CEC2022 test suites. • The solution based on DLMDGWO of five engineering problems is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image super-resolution (SR) technology plays a crucial role in enhancing image resolution and has found extensive applications in areas such as medical imaging, surveillance, and security. The growing need for effective assessment methodologies in SR image quality (SR-IQA) has spurred significant scholarly research. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the recent advancements in SR-IQA, including both the evolution of algorithms and the creation of subjective evaluation databases. It critically examines and analyzes various SR-IQA techniques across different datasets, starting with an overview of the development of SR algorithms and highlighting the importance of SR-IQA research. The paper then introduces and compares mainstream SR-IQA datasets, categorizing and evaluating SR-IQA methodologies. It concludes with an assessment of key image quality assessment algorithms, supported by detailed dataset analyses. The conclusion summarizes the current state of SR-IQA, identifies ongoing challenges, and suggests future research directions to advance the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Chemotherapy agents for lung cancer often cause apoptotic resistance in cells, leading to suboptimal therapeutic outcomes. FIN56 can be a potential treatment for lung cancer as it induces non-apoptotic cell death, namely ferroptosis. However, a bottleneck exists in FIN56-induced ferroptosis treatment; specifically, FIN56 fails to induce sufficient oxidative stress and may even trigger the defense system against ferroptosis, resulting in poor therapeutic efficacy. To overcome this, this study proposed a strategy of co-delivering FIN56 and piperlongumine to enhance the ferroptosis treatment effect by increasing oxidative stress and connecting with the autophagy pathway. FIN56 and piperlongumine were encapsulated into silk fibroin-based nano-disruptors, named FP@SFN. Characterization results showed that the particle size of FP@SFN was in the nanometer range and the distribution was uniform. Both in vivo and in vitro studies demonstrated that FP@SFN could effectively eliminate A549 cells and inhibit subcutaneous lung cancer tumors. Notably, ferroptosis and autophagy were identified as the main cell death pathways through which the nano-disruptors increased oxidative stress and facilitated cell membrane rupture. In conclusion, nano-disruptors can effectively enhance the therapeutic effect of ferroptosis treatment for lung cancer through the ferroptosis-autophagy synergy mechanism, providing a reference for the development of related therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• All defects/failure models of FMLs after forming has been analyzed. • The key process parameters have been investigated by experimental and numerical methods. • A new feasible map based on processing parameters' effects on various defects has been developed. Warm hydroforming shows considerable promise as a forming technology for Fiber Metal Laminates (FMLs) parts due to its capacity to enhance the formability of materials. However, a detailed investigation into the failure behavior during hydroforming is still lacking. In this paper, a systematic experiment was performed to analyze the possible failure modes for GLARE in warm active hydroforming. Five main defect modes have been identified, including fiber crack, combined Al & fiber crack, wrinkle, low resin, and voids defects. The related formation mechanisms have been analyzed based on both experiments and numerical methods. Additionally, the effects of critical process parameters, including the blank holder force (BHF), liquid pressure rate (PR), and temperature (T) on failure behavior are thoroughly investigated and quantified. The use of step-loading BHF was recommended to enhance formability, which caused a nearly 36% decrease in the prepreg tensile damage criteria coefficient. Conversely, decreasing PR or increasing T significantly improved the formability of GLARE but resulted in low resin content and significant void defects. Consequently, a feasibility map that quantified the BHF and liquid pressure effects on various defects was developed, leading to optimized parameters for manufacturing a box-shaped part. This study not only explores the failure model of FMLs but also offers valuable insights for process parameter improvement and how to optimize key parameters in engineering processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aureobasidium spp. are the dimorphic fungi which have both major yeast cells and minor filamentous cells. Different strains of Aureobasidium spp. can synthesize different enzymes for utilization of a wide range of substrates including various wastes. Aureobasidium spp. also can synthesize many natural products such as pullulan, β-glucan, polymalate, liamocins, siderophores and melanin which have many applications in various sectors of biotechnology. Furthermore, their synthetic pathways, the relevant enzymes and their encoding genes have been clearly elucidated. Meanwhile, the genomes of over 70 different strains of Aureobasidium spp. have been sequenced and functionally annotated. The genomic DNAs of some strains of Aureobasidium spp. are wholly duplicated and such whole genome duplicated strains are polyextremotolerant. Different genetic vectors for efficiently editing genomic DNAs and natural products of Aureobasidium spp. are available. They have plenty of structural and regulatory elements controlling and regulating synthesis of many natural products and enzymes. Importantly, pullulan produced by different strains of Aureobasidium spp. has been commercially produced world-wide for a long time. Therefore, like Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aureobasidium spp. will be the emerging eucaryotic cells for fungal biotechnology and biology. • Aureobasidium spp. can produce much more extracellular enzymes and natural products than any other fungi. • They have rich sources of regulatory elements. • Genome editing techniques for them are available. • Aureobasidium spp. are the ideal chassises for fungal biotechnology and biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peptide-based drugs have attracted extensive attention from the medical and pharmaceutical industry because of their relatively high safety and efficacy. However, most of the peptide drugs approved are administrated by injection, which can easily cause poor patient compliance. In this circumstance, pulmonary administration as an alternative to injection administration can not only avoid the above issue but also accelerate the absorption rate of peptide drugs and improve bioavailability. Among the pulmonary delivery systems available on the market, metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) have emerged as appealing candidates for pulmonary delivery systems with clinical translational value, owing to their many merits, including portable, easy-to-operate, and cost-effective properties. Nevertheless, the industrialization of peptide drugs-containing MDIs encounters a bottleneck of low drug loading, owing to the incompatibility between the propellant and the peptide drugs, which cannot be effectively overcome by the current carrier particle encapsulation strategy. Herein, we put forward the following strategies: (1) To screen amphiphilic materials with high surface activity and strong interaction with peptide drugs; (2) To construct a chemical connection between peptide drugs and amphiphilic substances; (3) To optimize the cosolvent for dispersing peptide drugs. We suppose these strategies have the potential to defeat the bottleneck problem and provide a new idea for the industrialization of peptide drugs-containing MDIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liamocins synthesized by Aureobasidium spp. are glycolipids composed of a single mannitol or arabitol headgroup linked to either three, four or even six 3,5-dihydroxydecanoic ester tail-groups. The highest titer of liamocin achieved was over 40.0 g/L. The substrates for liamocins synthesis include glucose, sucrose, xylose, mannitol, and others. The Pks1 is responsible for the biosynthesis of the tail-group 3,5-dihydroxydecanoic acid, both mannitol dehydrogenase (MDH) and mannitol 1-phosphate 5-dehydrogenase (MPDH) catalyze the mannitol biosynthesis and the arabitol biosynthesis is controlled by arabitol dehydrogenase (ArDH). The ester bond formation between 3,5-dihydroxydecanoic acid and mannitol or arabitol is catalyzed by the esterase (Est1). Liamocin biosynthesis is regulated by the specific transcriptional activator (Gal1), global transcriptional activator (Msn2), various signaling pathways, acetyl-CoA flux while Pks1 activity is controlled by PPTase activity. The synthesized liamocins have high bioactivity against the pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus spp. and some kinds of cancer cells while Massoia lactone released liamocins which exhibited obvious antifungal and anticancer activities. Therefore, liamocins and Massoia lactone have many applications in various sectors of biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To maintain a qualified product, it is necessary to control the final machined quality approximately. To this end, massive research has been devoted to modeling and controlling the machining-induced surface roughness. However, a generalized surface roughness prediction model is hard to develop due to the complex modeling process and insufficient data. And a feasible surface roughness stabilization method is often missing in the existing studies. To this end, this paper proposed a novel self-adaptive machining parameters adjustment method for stabilizing the machining-induced surface roughness. In the proposed method, a physical surface roughness prediction model is developed at first. Then, a CNN-LSTM is employed to realize spatial–temporal feature extraction. Next, the MMD-MSE-based method is employed to realize the transfer learning process. Finally, a self-adaptive process parameter tuning system using the gradient descent method is developed, based on the surface prediction method. Experiments are conducted on a milling machine, and results indicate that the proposed method can realize a high accuracy and generalization prediction of surface roughness. In terms of the machined surface roughness, the proposed method effectively maintains the surface roughness under 1.6 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct absorption of sunlight with carbon nanofluids is a facile way to efficiently harvest solar-thermal energy, but poor dispersion stability of nanofluids under elevated temperatures severely limits their applications. Herein, we report a general strategy to prepare stably-dispersed medium-temperature solar-thermal nanofluids by employing crumpled particles of ethanol-wetted graphene oxide sheets as the self-dispersible photothermal converters. The crumpled particles simultaneously possess intensively-deformed surface structure, a low density and a small particle size. Such features weaken the inter-particle van der Waals attraction and gravitational sedimentation of the crumpled particles, thereby enabling their long-term stable dispersion within commercial thermal storage oils. Uniform dispersion of nanofluids was maintained after continuous heating for 2 weeks under a heating temperature up to 200 °C. The homogenously dispersed nanofluids also achieved high solar absorptance with low particle loadings, and retained the large heat capacity and suitable viscosity. These combined advantageous thermophysical properties enabled consistent high-performance medium-temperature direct absorption-based nanofluidic solar-thermal energy harvesting under large-flux solar illumination. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is easy to lead to poor generalization in machine learning tasks using real-world data directly, since such data is usually high-dimensional dimensionality and limited. Through learning the low dimensional representations of high-dimensional data, feature selection can retain useful features for machine learning tasks. Using these useful features effectively trains machine learning models. Hence, it is a challenge for feature selection from high-dimensional data. To address this issue, in this paper, a hybrid approach consisted of an autoencoder and Bayesian methods is proposed for a novel feature selection. Firstly, Bayesian methods are embedded in the proposed autoencoder as a special hidden layer. This of doing is to increase the precision during selecting non-redundant features. Then, the other hidden layers of the autoencoder are used for non-redundant feature selection. Finally, compared with the mainstream approaches for feature selection, the proposed method outperforms them. We find that the way consisted of autoencoders and probabilistic correction methods is more meaningful than that of stacking architectures or adding constraints to autoencoders as regards feature selection. We also demonstrate that stacked autoencoders are more suitable for large-scale feature selection, however, sparse autoencoders are beneficial for a smaller number of feature selection. We indicate that the value of the proposed method provides a theoretical reference to analyze the optimality of feature selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trajectory of sustainable urban development evolves with the integration of intelligent technologies, extending beyond individual buildings to encompass entire communities interwoven with smart systems. Energy retrofits at smart and connected communities are crucial for sustainable urban renewal, yet they present distinct challenges from individual home retrofitting. However, a comprehensive understanding of the emerging research scopes and technologies in large-scale energy retrofits is lacking. To address this problem, this research systematically reviews journal publications in this field from 2000 to 2023. Results disclose four research scopes: building construction, mechanical systems and equipment, electrical systems and computing, and human-centered design and connectivity, suggesting a new landscape for energy retrofit research, which largely extends beyond the traditional field of the built environment (e.g., heating, cooling, lighting, and structure) to advanced computing, renewable energy, and human-centered connectivity. Results also delineate a new paradigm of retrofit technologies with three focused areas: within-building optimizations (heating and air conditioning, envelope, engineering design, and smart technology), between-building connections (power grid, district energy, and integrated energy system), and whole-community integrations. They represent the nodes, ties, and interplay within community networks. Eight retrofit focuses and their specific technologies and computational techniques are summarized and examined. Notably, the approach of simulation and computational modeling is prevalent, with evolutionary algorithms featured in computational techniques. The review suggests five gaps and proposes a roadmap to advance future research in energy retrofits, specifically emphasizing the integration of intelligent technologies and multidisciplinary collaborations. [Display omitted] • Energy retrofits extend individual buildings to communities interwoven with smart systems. • The identified four research scopes expand traditional considerations of built environments. • Advanced computing holds an increasing and critical role in building energy retrofits. • A new paradigm of retrofit technologies demonstrates three focused areas. • The study discusses five gaps and proposes future directions for research advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Chirally structured alkaloids have diverse metabolic and physiological properties. • This method can accurately detect 10 kinds of alkaloids and isomers in complex substrates. • Overcoming the difficulties in separating multiple chiral enantiomers in complex matrices. • The study firstly analyzes isomers ratio of alkaloids, and speculates the interconversion mechanism. Multiple chiral enantiomer separation poses challenges in analyzing complex matrices like natural plant materials. Currently, there is no straightforward method for simultaneous separation and analysis of ten alkaloids and enantiomers, mainly due to most of their low levels. Here, we present an improved chiral liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for accurate quantification of ten alkaloids and enantiomers. This method exhibits recoveries of 92.3 to 118.1 %, intra-day precisions of 0.6 to 4.7 %, and inter-day precisions of 1.2 to 4.5 %, with detection limits ranging from 0.03 to 3.0 ng/mL. Successfully applied to the ten alkaloids and enantiomers quantification in precursor tobacco materials and aerosols from traditional cigarettes and heated tobacco products, our results show higher concentrations of ten alkaloids in traditional cigarette aerosol compared to heated tobacco products aerosol. During aerosol formation, (R)-cotinine, N-methylanabasine, and β-nornicotyrine were produced. Notably, high temperatures during aerosol formation favored the (R)-enantiomer of several chiral alkaloids, and lead to the formation of new secondary alkaloids. This proposed mechanism represents the first attempt to elucidate the interconversion of alkaloids during aerosol formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many genes responsible for melanin biosynthesis in fungi were physically linked together. The PKS gene clusters in most of the melanin-producing fungi were regulated by the Cmr1. It was found that a close rearrangement of the PKS gene clusters had evolved in most of the melanin-producing fungi and various functions of melanin in them were beneficial to their adaptation to the changing environments. The melanin-producing fungi had undergone at least five large-scale differentiations, making their PKS gene clusters be quickly evolved and the fungi be adapted to different harsh environments. The recent gene losses and expansion were remarkably frequent in the PKS gene clusters, leading to their rapid evolution and adaptation of their hosts to different environments. The PKS gene and the CMR1 gene in them were subject to a strong co-evolution, but the horizontal gene transfer events might have occurred in the genome-duplicated species, Aspergillus and Penicillium. • Many melanin-synthesizing genes are linked together as the PKS gene clusters. • Most of the PKS gene clusters are regulated by Cmr1. • Evolution of different genes in the clusters is closely related to adaptation of the melanin-producing fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been well documented that different strains of Aureobasidium spp. can synthesize and secrete over 30.0 g/L of polymalate (PMA) and the produced PMA has many potential applications in biomaterial, medical and food industries. The substrates for PMA biosynthesis include glucose, xylose, fructose, sucrose and glucose or fructose or xylose or sucrose-containing natural materials from industrial and agricultural wastes. Malate, the only monomer for PMA biosynthesis mainly comes from TCA cycle, cytosolic reduction TCA pathway and the glyoxylate cycle. The PMA synthetase (a NRPS) containing A like domain, T domain and C like domain is responsible for polymerization of malate into PMA molecules by formation of ester bonds between malates. PMA biosynthesis is regulated by the transcriptional activator Crz1 from Ca2+ signaling pathway, the GATA-type transcription factor Gat1 from nitrogen catabolite repression and the GATA-type transcription factor NsdD. • The substrates for PMA production include glucose, xylose, fructose and sucrose. • Malate for PMA biosynthesis mainly comes from TCA cycle, cytosolic reduction TCA pathway and the glyoxylate cycle. • The PMA synthetase is responsible for polymerization of malate into PMA molecules. • PMA biosynthesis is regulated by the transcriptional activator Crz1, Gat1 and NsdD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Large‐scale gene duplications (LSGDs) are crucial for evolutionary adaptation and recurrent in vascular plants. However, the role of ancient LSGDs in the terrestrialization and diversification of bryophytes, the second most species‐rich group of land plants, remains largely elusive due to limited sampling in bryophytes. Employing the most extensive nuclear gene dataset in bryophytes to date, we reconstructed a time‐calibrated phylogenetic tree from 209 species, covering virtually all key bryophyte lineages, for phylogenomic analyses of LSGDs and diversification. We newly identified two ancient LSGDs: one in the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of extant bryophytes and another in the MRCA of the majority of Jungermanniales s. lato. Duplicated genes from these two LSGDs show significant enrichment in photosynthesis‐related processes and structures. Rhizoid‐responsive ROOTHAIR DEFECTIVE SIX‐LIKE (RSL) genes from ancient LSGDs are present in rhizoidless bryophytes, challenging assumptions about rhizoid absence mechanisms. We highlighted four major diversification rate upshifts, two of which slightly postdated LSGDs, potentially linked to the flourishing of gymnosperms and angiosperms and explaining over 80% of bryophyte diversity. Our findings, supported by extensive bryophyte sampling, highlight the significance of LSGDs in the early terrestrialization and diversification of bryophytes, offering new insights into land plant evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and sepsis are closely related. This study aims to identify pivotal diagnostic candidate genes in COVID‐19 patients with sepsis. Patients and Methods: We obtained a COVID‐19 data set and a sepsis data set from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and module genes using the Linear Models for Microarray Data (LIMMA) and weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA), functional enrichment analysis, protein–protein interaction (PPI) network construction, and machine learning algorithms (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and Random Forest (RF)) were used to identify candidate hub genes for the diagnosis of COVID‐19 patients with sepsis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were developed to assess the diagnostic value. Finally, the data set GSE28750 was used to verify the core genes and analyze the immune infiltration. Results: The COVID‐19 data set contained 3,438 DEGs， and 595 common genes were screened in sepsis. sepsis DEGs were mainly enriched in immune regulation. The intersection of DEGs for COVID‐19 and core genes for sepsis was 329, which were also mainly enriched in the immune system. After developing the PPI network, 17 node genes were filtered and thirteen candidate hub genes were selected for diagnostic value evaluation using machine learning. All thirteen candidate hub genes have diagnostic value, and 8 genes with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) greater than 0.9 were selected as diagnostic genes. Conclusion: Five core genes (CD3D, IL2RB, KLRC, CD5, and HLA‐DQA1) associated with immune infiltration were identified to evaluate their diagnostic utility COVID‐19 patients with sepsis. This finding contributes to the identification of potential peripheral blood diagnostic candidate genes for COVID‐19 patients with sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fungal α-glucan synthases (Agss) are multi-domain proteins catalyzing biosynthesis of cell wall α-1,3-glucan which determines cell wall integrity or fungal pathogenicity and pullulan which is a maltotriosyl polymer made of α-1,4 and α-1,6 bound glucose units. The Agss family can be divided into 11 groups, some of which lost the original functions due to accumulation of harmful mutations or gene loss. Schizosaccharomyces pombe kept five kinds of Agss in the genome while Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. lost one or two or three kinds of Agss. All the human, animal and plant pathogens kept only one single kind of Ags or only one active Ags for synthesis of cell wall α-1,3-glucan, a virulence factor. While the genus Aureobasidium spp. contained three kinds of Agss, of which only some of the Ags2 was involved in pullulan biosynthesis. Although many Agss contained Big_5 domain, only the Big_5 domain with conserved amino acids LQS from some strains of A. melanogenum could catalyze pullulan biosynthesis. This whole amino acid sequence and phylogenetic differences may cause non-α-1,3-glucan synthesizing activity of some fungal Agss. • The fungal α-glucan synthase (Ags) family can be divided into 11 groups. • All the human, animal and plant pathogens kept only one single kind of Ags. • The Ags2 having only the Big_5 domain with conserved LQS could catalyze pullulan biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, Shu et al. published “Numerical and Experimental Investigation of TID Radiation Effect on the Breakdown Voltage of 400 V SOI NLDMOS.” This short article is an extension of that earlier article. The breakdown voltage of 400-V silicon-on-insulator n-channel laterally diffused metal–oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors with different drift region lengths are examined after exposure to total ionizing dose. The variation observed is analyzed using technology computer-aided design simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum spin liquid is a novel magnetic state without long-range order even at zero temperature due to strong quantum fluctuations. The ground state of quantum spin liquid cannot be described by order parameters, and there is no symmetry breaking in this exotic state, which means that the realization of quantum spin liquid states will break through the paradigm of Landau's theory. Studies on quantum spin liquid will be helpful for the understanding of the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity and the application of quantum calculation and quantum information. Although there are many advances in the theory, no material is confirmed to be a real quantum spin liquid so far, making it important to realize a quantum spin liquid material and confirm its properties. Muon spin relaxation, a powerful technique that is extremely sensitive to magnetic fields, has been widely used in the study of quantum spin liquid candidates. Muon spin relaxation can observe whether there is long-range order in the ground state, and measure the fluctuation rate in the system, both of which are the basic properties of quantum spin liquid. This article gives a brief introduction to the quantum spin liquid state and muon spin relaxation technique. Then recent experimental works, especially muon spin relaxation experiments, on different systems, including one-dimensional antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain (copper benzoate), triangular lattice (YbMgGaO4, NaYbO2 and TbInO3), kagomé lattice [ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2 and Tm3Sb3Zn2O14], honeycomb lattice (Na2IrO3 and α-RuCl3) and pyrochlore lattice (Tb2Ti2O7, Pr2Ir2O7 and Ce2Zr2O7) are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breakdown voltage (BVDS) of uniform doping (UD) and linear variable doping (LVD) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) p-channel laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (p-LDMOSFETs) is examined after exposure to the total ionizing dose (TID). The results show BVDS degradation with accumulated dose. TID degradation with the MOS device biased off is more severe than that with the MOS device biased on. Also, LVD BVDS is more significant than UD BVDS at a given TID. Technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulation is used to gain an insight into the mechanism causing BVDS degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A comparative analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of three different methods for radiologic evaluation of patellofemoral instability (PFI). Methods: Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in 47 patients with or without PFI. The tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance was measured by two observers through conventional CT and three-dimensional CT reconstruction (TDR-TT-TG) respectively and the tibial tubercle-posterior cruciate ligament (TT-PCL) distance with MRI. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the interobserver reliability. In addition, the differences of three measurements between different patients were compared. The consistency of TT-TG and TDR-TT-TG was analyzed by the Bland-Altman method. Results: The ICCs of three measurements were high between two observers; the results were TT-TG (ICC = 0.852), TDR-TT-TG (ICC = 0.864), and TT-PCL (ICC = 0.758). The values of PFI patients were significantly higher than those of non-PFI patients, and the mean TT-TG, TDR-TT-TG, and TT-PCL distance in patients with PFI were 19.0 ± 3.8 mm, 19.0 ± 3.7 mm, and 25.1 ± 3.6 mm, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the TT-TG distance and the TDR-TT-TG distance, we found no significant difference. The Bland-Altman analysis showed that the TDR-TT-TG distance was in good agreement with the TT-TG distance. Conclusion: All three methods can be used to assess PFI; the TDR-TT-TG measurement method has superior operability and better interobserver consistency. It may be an alternative method to the conventional TT-TG distance measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical characteristics of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) n-channel laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (NLDMOSFETs) are examined after exposure to the total ionizing dose (TID). The devices are partially radiation hardened in that the gate oxide (GOX) and the field oxide (FOX) have undergone a hardening process, but not the buried oxide (BOX). Two bias conditions, OFF-state and all terminals grounded, during irradiation are examined. The irradiated device shows that the OFF-state leakage current (IL) of these devices increases with the accumulated dose. The physical mechanisms for the IL are analyzed by technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulation. The OFF-state leakage current (IL) can be explained due to the effects of radiation-induced trapped charge at the BOX silicon interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wangjiazhuang porphyry copper (-molybdenum) deposit is located at Zouping volcanic basin in Shandong Province, East China and hosted in the Wangjiazhuang intrusive complex emplaced along a late volcanic conduit. There are two types of ores in this deposit: early disseminated and stockwork ores in the ore-bearing intrusion, and late massive sulfide-quartz veins above brecciated quartz monzonite. The ore minerals are mainly pyrite, chalcopyrite, and subordinately magnetite, tennantite, molybdenite with minor bornite, enargite, galena and sphalerite, etc., and gangue minerals including K-feldspar, biotite, quartz, muscovite-sericite, chlorite and calcite. Combined with fluid inclusion study, the scanning electron microscope-cathodoluminescence (SEM-CL) study of quartz in the deposit and wall rocks shows significant differences between the two types of quartz in the ores. In addition, four types of primary-pseudosecondary fluid inclusions in the quartz have been recognized. They are one- or two-phase aqueous inclusions with vapor/liquid ratios less than 30% to 40% (type I); gas-rich inclusions with vapor/ liquid ratios more than 50% (type II), some of which contain some small opaque minerals, probably chalcopyrite; multiphase fluid inclusions with daughter minerals of halite±anhydrite±opaque (chalcopyrite)± sylvite±hematite±unknown crystal (type III); and mica-bearing fluid inclusions (type IV). Quartz containing abundant muscovite-bearing and halite-bearing fluid inclusions in the mineralized quartz monzonite with potassic-silicic alteration, have better oscillatory growth zoning with CL-colors from bright in the core to darker in the rim, indicating variations of element concentrations in the fluid media from which quartz grew during the later period of magmatic-hydrothermal process. In contrast, the quartz in the sulfide-quartz veins contains mainly fluid inclusions of low-to-medium salinities and does not show oscillatory zoning, indicating that there was less fluctuation in composition and element concentrations of the hydrothermal fluids. However, the quartz containing halite-bearing fluid inclusions and being associated with copper-molybdenum mineralization in the sulfide-quartz veins shows zoning in its rims, indicating variations in composition and element concentrations of the hydrothermal fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective mitigation of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and ozone (O 3) pollution necessitates collaborative regional emission control of major pollutants. In this study, we propose an approach based on source-receptor relationships (SRRs) and a mathematical programming (MP) model to quantify the regional atmospheric environmental capacity (AEC) constrained by certain air quality goals for PM 2.5 and O 3. We apply this method to optimize emission control strategies addressing a springtime case of concurrent high PM 2.5 and O 3 pollution in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of eastern China in May 2014. Our analysis of SRRs reveals that O 3 pollution is more contributed by regional transport compared to PM 2.5 , thereby limiting the potential for meeting the O 3 target through anthropogenic emission reductions. Imposing various constraints on air quality goals and upper limits of emission reduction ratios yields significant variations in potential control pathways specific to source sectors and regions. To effectively mitigate PM 2.5 pollution, substantial reductions in sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and primary PM 2.5 emissions are required, whereas ammonia (NH 3) control demonstrates less effectiveness. Differentiated and coordinated efforts in controlling nitrogen oxide (NO x) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions are necessary to simultaneously achieve the desired PM 2.5 and O 3 targets. Evaluation of potential control pathways further emphasizes the effectiveness of implementing control measures on major precursor emissions to reduce PM 2.5. However, meeting the O 3 target remains challenging due to the complex nonlinearity involved in O 3 formation. To attain the air quality goals for PM 2.5 (<50 μg m−3) and daily maximum 1-h average (MDA1) O 3 (<160 μg m−3) across the entire YRD, the estimated AEC values for SO 2 , NO x , NH 3 , VOCs, and primary PM 2.5 are approximately 8.3, 79.4, 102.7, 186.9, and 13.0 kt mon−1, respectively, with corresponding emission reduction ratios of 95.6%, 75.5%, 33.1%, 45.1%, and 85.5% at the regional level. • An SRR-MP approach is applied to optimize emission control strategies in YRD. • Sector-specific and region-specific control pathways are proposed. • Reducing O 3 proves to be more challenging compared to reducing PM 2.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Numerical procedure is developed for the prediction of creep-fatigue life improvement. • Creep-fatigue life improvement by SMA-WJP process is reduced with increasing hold time. • Surface strengthening effect and grain boundary cavity are considered to dual-scale modeling. The elucidation of creep-fatigue damage mechanisms is still controversial for high-temperature structures after surface strengthening treatments, which serves as a critical foundation for the development of an accurate life prediction method. In this work, a numerical procedure is constructed for the prediction of creep-fatigue life improvement, where a dual-scale modeling approach is proposed to integrate important strengthening factors and microstructure features. The macro-scale finite element (FE) simulation aims to investigate the cyclic deformation behavior in a notched structure by using a viscoplastic constitutive model. The initial stress field is predetermined based on the experimental residual stress. The micro-scale FE analysis is employed to investigate the local damage evolution occurring at the notched root by combining size-dependent crystal plasticity with grain boundary cavity model. The cycle-by-cycle deformation histories are extracted from the macro-scale FE model and subsequently are utilized as boundary conditions in the micro-scale FE one. From the experimental perspective, the submerged micro-abrasive waterjet peening (SMA-WJP) process is carried out for creep-fatigue life improvement of the notched structure. Results shows that the notched structure treated by the SMA-WJP process forms an obvious plastic layer with the depth of 20 μm and residual stress with the maximum value of -926 MPa. The predicted numbers of cycles to crack initiation agree with the creep-fatigue experimental ones before and after SMA-WJP. In detail, the surface residual stress and plastic layer are unable to suppress the cavity nucleation on the grain boundaries of internal material. As a consequence, the creep-fatigue life improvement is diminished as the hold time increases, which can be accurately predicted by the developed numerical procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cleaner aerobic fermentation with high efficiency is of great significance to microbial production. In an aerobic fermentation process, gas holdup and power consumption are main indexes for its performance evaluation. Based on CFD-Taguchi method, effects of control factors of impeller type, gas flow rate and agitation speed on gas holdup and power consumption were studied, by taking pullulan fermentation of Aureobasidium pullulans in a stirred tank bioreactor as a case study. Innovatively, three representative viscosity stages and their corresponding viscosities were defined according to viscosity change during fermentation, so as to quantitatively optimize the fermentation process. By range analysis and analysis of variance, effects of control factors and their significant levels on fermentation performance were obtained so as to optimize the fermentation system. All control factors were significant at low viscosity stage, and insignificant at stages of medium and high viscosity except for gas flow rate at high viscosity stage (p < 0.05). Impeller of bent blade disc turbine had the highest comprehensive evaluation index during the fermentation process, with the optimal agitation speed and gas flow rate 400 rpm and 7.8 L/min at low viscosity stage, and 400 rpm and 7.8 L/min at stages of medium and high viscosity. • Process optimization to improve gas holdup and power consumption. • Three viscosity stages of pullulan fermentation of Aureobasidium pullulans. • Structure and parameter optimization of stirred tank bioreactor by CFD-Taguchi method. • Bent blade disc turbine with 400 rpm having the best fermentation performance. • The optimal gas flow rates 5.4 L/min at low viscosity stage and 7.8 L/min otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single-event transients (SETs) have become a main contributor to soft errors in deep sub-micrometer integrated circuits applied in space. The sensitivity of 65-nm very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI) to SET, especially to clock SET, is studied by heavy ion experiments and analyzed. Built-in scan chains in the VLSI are utilized for experimental tests and proven to be very useful for SET evaluation. The specially designed test chip is developed and tested to find the relation between errors’ distribution and clock tree structures. Error count per event (EPE) is proposed as a metric of SET, and EPE distribution is found to be able to reflect error sources in the circuit topology. The related mechanisms are analyzed and implications for error positioning and design enhancement are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Fine particle (PM 2.5) and ozone (O 3) are major air pollutants in China, especially in developed city clusters. A comprehensive field campaign, the Campaign on Air Pollution and Urban Meteorology in Yangtze River Delta (CAPUM-YRD), eastern China is carried out in 2016 to enhance the understanding of regional PM 2.5 and O 3 pollution. Two super sites in Shanghai, one in Hangzhou, as well as nineteen national monitoring stations in Nanjing and Hefei jointly participate in the campaign. In this study, regional PM 2.5 and O 3 pollution episodes are characterized based on summer and winter experiments during the CAPUM-YRD. Further, trajectory simulation and source apportionment technology in Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) are applied to explore the source of the pollution episodes. We find that regional synchronous PM 2.5 pollution episodes (over 120 μg/m3) occur frequently in YRD. Secondary inorganic and carbonaceous components account for a major proportion (70–80%) in PM 2.5. Nitrate concentration is significantly higher (lower) than sulfate in winter (summer). The secondary conversion of sulfur and nitrogen increases alongside elevated PM 2.5 levels, with a maximum ratio of 0.28 and 0.18 in winter, respectively. Source apportionment results suggest that the contribution of emissions within YRD dominates in PM 2.5 (over 60%) compared to other regions. The inter-regional transport from the north-northwest in eastern China can contribute over 20% to PM 2.5 in YRD, with a maximum of 28.4% in Nanjing. Under the transport by enhanced northerly winds, PM 2.5 concentrations may increase explosively, with observed peak values in Hefei (312.6 μg/m3) and Nanjing (255.7 μg/m3). Moreover, high levels and remarkable spatial heterogeneity of O 3 are observed over YRD in summer, with daily maximum 8-h average O 3 above 300 μg/m3 in Nanjing. The occurrence of O 3 pollution episodes is significantly impacted by favorable weather conditions and transport at multiple spatial scales. Regional contribution results demonstrate that super-regional transport is prominent (29.4–50.7%) in O 3 pollution, especially in coastal cities like Shanghai (30.3–63.0%). Our results suggest that enhanced regional collaboration and efforts are of extreme necessity in long-term and optimized control of severe PM 2.5 and O 3 pollution in YRD. Highlights • Regional severe PM 2.5 and O 3 episodes over YRD during a comprehensive field observation campaign were characterized. • Particulate and ozone source apportionment technology were applied to explore the sources of PM 2.5 and O 3. • Qualitative and quantitative contributions of different source regions to PM 2.5 and O 3 in YRD were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breakdown voltage (BVDS) variation of 400-V silicon-on-insulator (SOI) n-channel laterally diffused metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (NLDMOSFETs) is examined after exposure to a total ionizing dose (TID). The results for OFF bias and ON bias are explored. For the OFF bias, BVDS increases first and then degrades with accumulated dose. For the ON bias, the irradiated device shows soft breakdown after irradiation. The physical mechanisms for these variations are analyzed and confirmed by technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy harvesting from ambient energy sources has gained increased attention due to its advantage of less maintenance and for removing the dependency on batteries in IWSNs. However, due to the dynamic nature of ambient energy sources and the position of harvesting nodes, energy-harvesting is not always available, resulting in unbalanced energy-harvesting in IWSNs. Although, some battery operated nodes are used, the limited lifetime problem still exists due to the non-harvesting nodes. In this article, we propose a scheme that combines the advantages of energy-harvesting and sleep-scheduling in hybrid solar energy-harvesting IWSNs and non-harvesting nodes. We present a model of the harvesting-node using a three-state Markov chain. The proposed harvest-use-store type architecture aims to guarantee an energy-neutral condition to avoid energy harvesting nodes from early energy exhaustion. The proposed approach allows to wake up a few more non-harvesting nodes to handle network coverage and connectivity during less-energy-harvesting intervals. Similarly, non-harvesting nodes are allowed to sleep by increasing the default transmission range of the solar-harvesting nodes during higher energy harvesting intervals prolonging network lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]